The Twirl Dress
by lizandhenry
Summary: By request: Henry returns from Desert Storm


_AN: Hello friends! This little one shot story comes from the many requests I have recieved from my "guest" reviewers to write a story about Henry returning home from Desert Storm. I a bit of this weaved into my story Promises...but I sort of modified and expanded a bit for this. I hope it meets your expectations. Please keep your comments & suggestions coming my way. I LOVE reading them and they really help me think of more stories_.

 **The Twirl Dress**

Elizabeth studied herself in the dressing room mirror, smoothing out a red dress and checking the various angles.

She pursed her lips. The dress was flattering but nothing special. She needed something _special._ Her husband was scheduled to arrive home from Desert Storm on Friday afternoon, and she wanted to surprise him by looking amazing and take him out to dinner.

She knew Henry would say she looked just as beautiful in her pajamas, but she wanted to welcome him home properly. She hadn't seen her new husband but 3 times when he was granted leave in the past two years. She couldn't wait to get their lives started.

While he had been gone she buried herself in her career, quickly moving up through the CIA. With no one to come home to, the long hours were more feasible. Plus she had to stay busy to avoid missing him too badly or wondering if he was safe. His frequent letters helped ease her mind as well as her daily involvement with the CIA, which kept her in the loop as to hostilities. She had a hard time sleeping without his warm body curled around hers. But eventually when she did find sleep, her dreams were filled with him and how they would spend their life as newlyweds when he returned.

"It looks lovely on you." The saleswoman said.

"Thanks but...I think I'd like to try on something in blue." she said.

Henry loved the blue in her eyes. And it matched his.

A few minutes later the sales person returned with three blue dresses which she vetoed immediately for being over the top. "My husband is returning from the Iran next week, I want something nice, but not too foofy." she re-iterated.

The woman soon returned with two more dresses that caught her eye. One of them seemed to have a flowing skirt, which she thought would be perfect for her image of him twirling her in the air as she jumped into his arms. She'd dreamed of this moment, imagining and hoping it would be everything and more just like a scene from an old 1940's movie when the women dressed for every occassion. Elizabeth thanked her and tried on dress.

She could tell it fit her perfectly from the second she zipped the side zipper. It had thin glitter straps and a deep v neckline. She tested the skirt by spinning around and it spun freely around her waist, draping a few inches above her knee. It was perfect dress for her reunion with her handsome husband, hoping finding the dress meant it would be everything she hoped. She paid for the dress, grabbed a latte and a sandwich from a coffee shop and headed back to the CIA. Nothing like lunch hour power shopping.

That night, she arrived home well after midnight but smiled as she hung the dress from her door hook. Looking at that dress and imagining being in Henry's arms in just 7 days would get her through the next week. She fell into bed smiling with thoughts of her husband and he soon filled her dreams.

******The Twirl Dress******

Just after 2:30am Henry McCord paid his cab driver and quietly opened the townhouse door. He set his duffel on the floor and discarded his coat and boots.

Walking in the house felt heavenly. He could smell wife's perfume and smiled. He was home and their life together could finally begin.

Henry hobbled up the stairs, his knee throbbing. He got hurt just two weeks ago, having to bail from his aircraft. He was released from the hospital quickly after minor surgery, and was able to return home a week early. It had scared him. Being so close to being at the end of his assignment and having to get injured. He was just thankful it was a minor injury all things considered, and someone wasn't calling Elizabeth just weeks away from his scheduled return giving her bad news. It would have broken her. Instead he was here with the best news, surprising her a week early.

He tiptoed into their bedroom. It looked just as when he left it and he looked at his wife. Sleeping peacefully, beautifully. The 2:30am flight landing wasn't ideal. But he had to see her as soon as possible. He couldn't wait to surprise her a week early.

He shed his uniform, leaving him in his tee shirt and boxers and softly climbed into bed beside her. As much as he wanted to surprise her, he didn't want to startle her in the middle of the night and have her think he was a intruder.

She shifted in her sleep as he laid down and a sigh escaped her lips. He smiled at her. After she had resettled he curled his body around hers and nestled closer, snaking an arm around her waist. Her skin felt warm to his touch and he loved the feeling of it beneath his fingers.

Another sigh escaped her lips while she slept and she unconsciously snuggled closer to him. His hand stroked her middle and he planted a kiss to her exposed shoulder.

This time her eyes fluttered open and she turned to look up at him tiredly. A small smiled graced her lips. "Am I dreaming?" she asked him quietly, wondering if she was in the middle of a dream.

"No." he whispered. "Surprise."

She smiled wider, reaching to touch his face, running her fingers along his cheeks. "You're really here?" she asked again, her voice still heavy with sleep.

He giggled and grasped her hand as it left his face, dipping his head he gently kissed her. "Yes. I'm really here babe."

When the kiss broke she realized it was true and smiled brightly. Their eyes met for a few moments, just staring at one another. Shocked to really be in this moment. Elizabeth let out a breath and kissed him hard. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too babe." he said between their kisses.

She continued to get closer, running her leg over his when she felt the coarse bandage on his knee and broke the kiss. "Henry?" she cried. "What happened to your leg?"

"It's just….my knee got a few pins in it it's not…"

"Henry! Is this why you came home early? You didn't tell me you got hurt…." her eyes welled with tears.

"Hey, hey…" he calmed, pulling her close to him. "It's okay. It will heal. It doesn't even hurt that bad. It just happened a couple weeks ago. It's partly why I got to come home early...but I promise babe, I'm okay."

She looked up at him as he wiped her tears and ran her fingers over his bandage. "Is this the only injury?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Okay."

He smiled at her and bent to kiss her again. "We can talk about it later." he could tell her mind was racing now and wanted to calm her back down. "Just...it's 3am...let's sleep a while okay? It was a long flight. I just couldn't wait one more second to see you."

She nestled back into his embrace. "I'm so glad you are home Henry. It was a wonderful surprise. I love you."

"Love you too." he whispered as he wrapped his arms tight around her.

A few minutes she asked again. "Are you positive this isn't a dream? It would be cruel to wake up and have you be gone again."

Henry giggled at her and squeezed her tightly. "I'll be here when you wake up. Promise."

******The Twirl Dress******

As the late morning sunshine filtered through the curtains Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open and she found herself back wrapped in her husband's arms. She smiled when she realized last night was not a dream and he had come back to her early.

She was content to watch him sleep for a few moments, realizing he probably hadn't slept in a proper bed since the last time he was home. Plus he had flown all night just to surprise her. But she couldn't help herself long. She had missed him, and there would be plenty of time for a nap later. She pressed her lips gently to his forehead.

He pulled her in and moaned as he opened his eyes. A smile graced his lips when her beautiful face came into his view, staring down at him with a smile, her hair a mess from sleeping but her eyes glittering. "Morning my love." she whispered, meeting his lips.

"Mornin' beautiful." he said. "Still think you're dreaming?" he joked

"No…" she shook her head. "But I should scold you."

"I fly all night to surprise you and you're mad about something?" he said with a smile wondering what on earth she was going to say.

"Well first of all, I'm not at all complaining about the surprise."

"You sure about that?"

She eyed him and continued. "But I had this whole thing planned….." she whined. "See that dress over there?"

He looked to the door to see the beautiful dress. "What about it?"

"Well it's new… it was supposed to be a surprise _for you."_ she emphasized. "I had this silly movie vision of us running toward each other like in the old movies….and you twirling me and kissing..." she drifted as the scene came to life in his mind. Then she came back to earth and said. "Then I was going to take you to dinner..."

He rubbed her hip with his hands. "I see. I'm sorry about ruining your surprise. But the dress is beautiful, and I'd love to take you to dinner in it tonight."

She smiled at him, a coy grin on her face. "I'm sort of busy tonight…...I wasn't expecting you and I have plans with my boyfriend…."

"Elizabeth McCord you are trouble." he laughed and flipped her on her back, climbing on top her before kissing her silent.

Later that night they had managed to drag themselves from bed and go out to dinner. Henry was dressed in a suit, not his dress uniform. He wanted a private dinner with Elizabeth, looking forward to catching up on her job and life while he was away. While he appreciated the thank you for your service compliments from strangers when in uniform, he didn't feel like dealing with them tonight or having to relive some of the memories if they asked further questions. He knew those questions would be coming, first and formost from his wife, and he needed time to process before talking about it.

Henry kissed Elizabeth's neck as she checked her appearance one last time in the front hallway mirror. "Beautiful." he whispered. "I'll be outside, okay?" he added, having a little trick up his sleeve.

She nodded then took her time gathering her purse and wrap before stepping out onto the sidewalk. Pausing a moment she looked around for her husband.

"Over here." he called from a a few yards down the street.

A quizzical look appeared on her face wondering what Henry was up to. "What are you doing down there?"

"You said you wanted some movie moment where we run to each other in your dress…." he called watching her face turn into a smile. "So get over here already!" he said, holding his arms open for her.

Elizabeth smiled; Henry was the greatest. She stepped off the stairs and onto the sidewalk, running as quickly as she could in her high heels and launched herself into his arms.

"Take it easy….man's got a bum knee." Henry said, shifting as he accepted her weight and slowly twirled her. To anyone watching it was like a old movie. Her dress twirled perfectly as the pair smiled at one another, lost in the moment and the moonlight.

"I'm sorry Captain." she said. "But I just missed you so much."

He set her down after a couple twirls and kissed her passionately. "Missed you more." He had pushed her up against a nearby tree, his hands skimming her ass above the layers of chiffon of of her dress. "You look beautiful." he whispered, "New dress?"

"Special dress for a special husband." she winked back. "You wouldn't by chance be free for dinner tonight?"

"Lead the way." he said, reluctantly pulling away from her, offering his arm, as they began walking to the nearby italian bistro that had just opened.

Elizabeth held tightly to his arm, laying her head on his shoulder while they walked, sighing in contentment.

"How's that for your 1940's movie moment re-creation?" Henry asked as they neared the restaurant.

She smiled up at him. "Better than I ever could have imagined."

"Bum knee and all?"

"Bum knee and all." she confirmed. She turned to him and looked at him in the eye and she gripped his hands. "But in all seriousness Henry and I know I said it a thousand times today...but I am so glad you are home and okay and I just...I love you so much."

"Me too. I love you baby, more than anything. I am just so happy to be home and finally starting our lives together….right now, tonight." Henry said, kissing her once again.

FIN


End file.
